The Lions’ Run
by Sara Pennypacker
Balzer + Bray, 2026. 275 pages.
Review written March 9, 2026, based on an Advance Reader Copy, signed by the author, and a published copy from the library.
Starred Review
Yes, it’s true – I almost finished my Advance Reader Copy of this book before it was published, but not quite. Why did I not read a book by *Sara Pennypacker* first thing when I got that copy? Well, I wanted to, but I got to thinking that it’s certain to be a Sonderbooks Stand-out, and it would be awkward to make it a Stand-out in a year when it hadn’t even been published yet, so I read some others of my loot first. Then I was reading award winners from 2025 for a program I was doing. Then I at least *started* it before publication!
And, yes, this book is as wonderful as I was sure it would be. This is a book set during World War II. I keep thinking that writers will run out of new ideas for that setting, and they continue to surprise me. Our protagonist is Lucas DuBois, an orphan who lives in an abbey in France under the Nazi regime. The Nazis treat all the French with contempt, and particularly orphans like him. But Lucas has a job delivering for the greengrocer, including to the Lebensborn – where pregnant girls are sent to give birth to good Nazi babies. The girls are pampered with fresh fruit and vegetables, and one of them tells Lucas she’s going to go find her baby after the war. Lucas doesn’t want to tell her she won’t have a chance.
Meanwhile, Lucas is ashamed of what a pushover he is. When some bullies drown a cat’s kittens, Lucas tries to stand up for them, but settles for fishing the bag of kittens out of the river and hiding the kittens in a secluded barn. But someone else is already hiding a horse there.
Alice is the daughter of a British racehorse trainer. She knows if the Nazis find her horse Bia, they’ll requisition Bia to fight in their war. So she’s hiding Bia and making plans with a trainer in Kentucky to ship Bia there. She’s got the forged paperwork, but it has to wait a few weeks.
At first, Alice tells Lucas he can’t keep the kittens there. But they come to terms with the situation, help each other keep secrets, and build a friendship.
And tired of being taunted for weakness, Lucas begins finding other ways to resist the Nazis.
This book reminded me somewhat of the Max books by Adam Gidwitz, because both feature a boy against the Nazis. This one was easier for me to believe, because unlike Max, adults resisted sending Lucas into danger, and his actions stemmed from his own kindness and his own desire to make a difference. Yes, there were some fortuitous circumstances, and if this book was real history, he might have died horribly – but it felt more within the scope of what a boy might actually do. Besides, in a children’s book, I expect the protagonist to be victorious, and it was well-fought.
sarapennypacker.com
mackids.com
Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Fiction/lions_run.html
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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.
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